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Eric Cook demonstrates his airbrushing techniques on a motorcycle fender he's custom painting for a client . 'I'm crazy enough, if you bring me something, I'll paint on it,' said the owner of Kaotic Airbrushing in Long Lane. / Valerie Mosley/News-Leader

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Eric Cook knew he had a purpose in life and put his faith in God to uncover it.

It was that faith that helped the Marine through two combat tours in Iraq.

It was that purpose — his artwork — that helped him heal when he came home to the Ozarks.

“It was difficult. There was no real transitioning out. I came home and didn’t realize the lifestyle was so different. ... Art was therapy, a way of coping. (In combat), you’re so desensitized and lose an emotional connection. Art has allowed me to reconnect in that area,” said Cook, 31.

Cook owns Kaotic Airbrushing in Long Lane, about 11 miles east of Buffalo. He prides himself on being able to paint on any surface: motorcycles, cars, wood, beer bottles, toilet seats, gas cans, mailboxes or even human skin.

“I’m crazy enough if you bring me something, I’ll paint on it,” he said, which was part of the inspiration for the name of his business.

He works out of a small studio on his land in the country, a large portrait of Marilyn Monroe on one wall, a variety of airbrush art on the others.

Holding a slab of cedar with his painting of a wolf, he said: “Painting on a surface like this, you only get once chance. The paint soaks into the wood, so you have to be on top of every move.”

Getting started

Cook was 23 when he got out of the Marines.

He had joined the military because he thought it was his duty, and it’s a family tradition: His family has served in every branch. .

Before he left the Corps, he knew he wanted to be an artist, but didn’t know what medium he’d use and how to make a living at it.

He moved back to Long Lane and worked in graphic design for a bit, then was hired by Laughingwell Studio in Buffalo, which did work for Bass Pro Shops. The owners taught him how to work with acrylics and fostered his talent.

“They helped me bring my artistic talent to a whole new level and were a great inspiration in my life,” he said. “... they taught me about marketing.”

He and the owners traveled around the country painting murals for new Bass Pro Shops. But when the economy tanked, construction slowed and jobs were more scarce.

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About four years ago, Cook settled on airbrushing as the art form he wanted to pursue, inspired by work he saw on classic cars and motorcycles.

After a week-long class at Ozarks Technical Community College, he practiced and self taught himself the rest.

“Airbrushing is about distance and pressure. For fine details you reduce air pressure,” Cook said, while demonstrating his craft.

Building a business

With few samples of his work, Cook attended his first motorcycle rally at Lake of the Ozarks Bike Fest in Osage Beach in 2008.

At the rally, no one paid much attention to Cook because he didn’t have much to show.

“My uncle said ‘You need to be painting something.’ I said ‘OK, what?’ He said ‘paint this’ and handed me a beer bottle. I started painting and those started to sell and that’s how I got this job,” he said, signaling a centerfold spread of a Harley in Full Throttle magazine.

Harley owner Donny Layman was at that show looking for an artist to paint his bike and Jack Fleming, owner of Lake of the Ozarks Harley-Davidson, suggested Layman hire Cook.

“Donny said ‘Is he any good?’ Jack said ‘Well he’s painting the heck out of those beer bottles.’ He said ‘I think I’ll give him a shot,’” Cook said. “That entire group of people at Harley have been great and treated me very well in helping me get started.”

Cook painted the Harley, which was later featured in the magazine for motorcycle enthusiasts.

That centerfold helped him gain credibility among bike owners. Bikers are a close-knit community so referrals have kept him going. Most of his work comes from Lake of the Ozarks, Lebanon, Springfield and Buffalo.

It’s great because motorcycle owners are passionate about their bikes and working on a “bike job is real personal,” Cook said. The artist and owner bounce ideas off each other when deciding how to paint the motorcycle.

In fact, Cook bought his first motorcycle last year because he wanted to feel what bike owners feel.

“I had to get my own motorcycle so I could appreciate my own work,” Cook said. “What’s funny is it’s pretty much the ugliest motorcycle. This winter I grouped four or five artists and wanted to do something that represents artisans. I found the best metal workers I can find in the area. Another who does wood carving. Another will do the leather work on the bike. Several artisans are collectively creating and designing this motorcycle. It will be a real interesting piece when it’s done.”

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Other work

While cars and motorcycles are his passion, Cook also paints toilet seat covers and mailboxes, which he sells on eBay.

The military is also a theme in his work: He honors fellow soldiers with his POW, MIA fuel can lamps. Cook paints military scenes on vintage gas cans, wires them as a lamp and instead of a lamp shade, he uses military helmets.

You can identify the war fought by the helmet worn because they vary by war, he said.

Cook likes to further personalize these POW MIA gas can lamps with subtle things like the person’s rank or time of service.

He donated one of his lamps — which usually sell for about $350 — to an auction for the Wounded Warrior Project.

He’d love to sell more lamps, but the fuel cans are vintage so they are hard to come by.

Lately, he’s been experimenting with painting on humans, too.

He’s been hired by models before a photo shoot who “may not have all the tattoos so they hire an airbrush artist to paint those.”

Body painting is also popular at Halloween and for people who are considering a tattoo but want to know what it will look like before they opt for the permanent ink.

Recently, his father suggested he paint a self portrait, which is against the wall in his studio.

Self portrait

The self portrait is about his progression in art.

In the right corner, he has a pencil and charcoal drawing of himself in military gear. He used charcoal and pencil to sketch in Iraq because it was readily available.

The back of the soldier blends into a more modern version of Cook who is depicted bent over and painting. That image was crafted in acrylics because that was the next progression of his work. The artist in the picture is working on an airbrush painting with a heart in the center and two roses on the side. The roses signify the two loves of his life: his art and his family and friends.

In the center of the heart is a cross.

“That signifies Christ and that I accept Christ in my heart,” Cook said. Cook was baptized when he joined the Marine Corps and believes God watched out for him in the service.

And God gave him this gift which has helped him find a new life after the service.

“Pushing forward with my art is very important in trying to move past (Iraq),” Cook said, but doesn’t offer specifics as he says it’s difficult to talk about the war.

Now his goal is to grow his business and one day teach classes in airbrushing.

“I don’t plan on trying to get too huge, just simply do this for the rest of my life,” Cook said.

Want to know more?

Cook says he wouldn’t be where he is without God, his family and help from area businesses like Laughingwell Studio, Lake of the Ozarks Harley-Davidson, Cowboys Dee Railed and Graphics Unlimited. He’s thankful to all of them.
See more samples of Eric Cook’s artwork or connect with him at his professional page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaotic-Airbrushing/100425386050